nightmare retreated back inside me, and I slipped back into my own body, was of wracking pain. But before I passed out, the nightmare had one last thing to say.
'I'm so sorry.'
Chapter 27
The nightmare's words sprang to the forefront of my mind as I woke. I'm so sorry. Nightmares were meant to be evil, to tempt you into allowing the magic to run free. Sometimes it was hard to remember that.
The thought was quickly replaced by the sight of the tip of a blade close to my throat. 'What are you?' Sky asked from the less dangerous end of the dagger.
'You're going to have to be little more specific,' I said. 'I still feel somewhat groggy.'
'I saw that nightmare take over your body. And I saw it vanish after the lich attacked it. Once a nightmare takes control, it doesn't just stop and allow the host back in.' She moved the dagger down to my chest, the tip hovering over my heart. 'And I saw the marks on your body. Blood magic curse.'
'Can you remove the dagger and let me sit up?'
She held the knife steady for a few second, and then grudgingly stepped away.
I sat up and took in my surroundings for the first time. I was in the room that had once belonged to the now-deceased Captain Waltham. The window was still smashed, no one had bothered to board it up, and a pleasant breeze floated past the remaining jagged glass. I swung my legs off the bed, and noticed that someone had replaced the door. There was a key in the hole, turned to one side. 'You locked us in here,' I said.
'Will you answer my question?'
'Okay, what am I?' I mused. 'I'm a sorcerer. I'm fifteen-hundred years old and about three hundred years ago I used far too much magic and allowed a nightmare to take hold. Whenever I use too much magic, it rears its head and lets me know that it can help me. On occasion, I've allowed it free rein of my body and mind.'
'And it goes back without a fight?' Sky asked, shocked.
'Not exactly,' I said. I stood and stretched, causing my shoulder to crack. Sky didn't move an inch. 'The marks on my chest? The nightmare can't get past them. It can't ever take me wholly. So, in exchange for its help, I impose a time limit on it. Usually fifteen minutes, sometimes a little longer. After each time, it always obeys and leaves. Usually after telling me it's not evil and only wants to help me become the person I could be.'
'You trust it to acquiesce to your bargain?'
'Trust has nothing to do with it. If I had my way, I'd never allow it out at all, but sometimes, there's little choice.'
'There's always a choice.'
'You're right. The choice last night was allow it freedom or have the barren kill me and Tala in the most horrific way imaginable. How are the two youngsters by the way?'
'Doing as well as could be expected. Tala is strong. She looks out for her brother as a matter of priority. They're mostly staying out of everyone's way, and asking where you are on a regular basis.'
'Good,' I said. 'Do you plan on putting that knife away?'
Sky placed it on the table beside her with care, as if concerned she might need it at a moment's notice.
'How long have I been out?'
'About twelve hours. You're lucky he didn't kill you. Hell, we're all lucky he didn't kill everyone.'
'So, what happens now?' I ask. 'Do you have any back-up?'
'I've sent a telegram. They should be here within the next twelve hours, and then tomorrow we need to go to Kilnhurst and end this. The lich won't be back here tonight. He lost a lot of his forces last night and he'll want to rethink his strategy. But we're working on making the fort more secure for the time being.'
'So until the evening, what are we meant to do?'
Sky pushed herself away from the table she'd leaned against and grabbed my shirt, pulling me toward her in a hard kiss.
'What was that for?' I asked once we'd finished.
'We almost died last night, and we might die tonight. I'd rather feel alive for a bit longer, unless you have any objections.'
'None spring to mind.'
She smiled a wicked smile and pulled my mouth back toward hers once again.
'You could have done this before the whole knife thing,' I pointed out as Sky removed her clothes and dropped them to the floor.
'Sex first, discussion after,' she said as she unfastened my belt.
I removed my already open shirt and threw it onto the ground, before stepping out of my newly freed trousers. I grabbed Sky and picked her off the ground with one arm supporting her body as I licked her nipples, causing her to moan.
I turned us both around and laid us on the bed, tracing my hands down her taut body as we continued to kiss hungrily. She reached down between my legs and pulled me into her, arching her back and letting a deep moan out as I moved.
We moved in time, slowly at first, but were soon lost in the moment of passion until we let out one final cry of pleasure at the same time and collapsed against one another, both our passion and our fear of the unknown spent. For the moment.
Chapter 28
'Can I assume your little visit to the Silver Room went well?' Tommy asked as he entered the conservatory in Hades' kitchen the next morning.
I glanced up from the huge plate of fresh fruit and meat, and threw an apple in Tommy's direction. 'All good, Tommy,' I said with a smile.
'You were down there for eight hours. Hades said he dragged you unconscious from the room a few hours ago and put you on the sofa to sleep it off. No after effects?'
I knew Tommy was fishing. He was worried that maybe I'd let the nightmare corrupt me on a permanent basis. 'I'm not turning into a nightmare,' I told him.
'But you did see it, or hear it, or however that works.'
I stuffed a strawberry in my mouth. 'We had a conversation, yes. Apparently my increase in power means that I can use more magic before I need to worry about it resurfacing. A lot more.'
'It told you that?'
'Yes. It wants me to use magic, to get stronger. The stronger I am, the stronger the nightmare will be. It has no reason to lie or to try and deceive to me. I'm not even sure if it can.'
Tommy speared several pieces of bacon from my plate and stuffed them between two slices of bread. 'It's living magic. I'm pretty sure it can do whatever the hell it wants.'
'Maybe you're right, but it won't be taking hold anytime soon.' Since it had taken control over a hundred years previously, when a lich had almost beat me to death, I'd begun to think of the nightmare as something more than an evil entity that wants to control me. I had no evidence to support my thoughts, and if I went to anyone about with them they'd have me sectioned, but everything I've always been told about nightmares felt off compared to reality.
'So, did you find out anything else on this trip?'
'Nope, that was pretty much it,' I said, pushing the half-full plate away from me.
Tommy grabbed the plate before it was even out of my hands for even a second and commenced feeding a moment later. 'Why did you take this trip, Nate?'
'I needed to talk to Hades about getting help. And I wanted to know what my true power level was. I can't go into a fight not knowing what I can do.'
